Directions

1.Grease the bottoms of three matching 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans (or reuse one pan). Line the pans with waxed paper; grease the paper.

2. Place almond paste in a large bowl; break up with a fork. Cream with butter, sugar and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Stir in flour. In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into dough, mixing until thoroughly blended.

3. Divide dough into three portions (about 1-1/3 cups each). Color one portion with red food coloring and one with green; leave the remaining portion uncolored. Spread each portion into the prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.

5. Place green layer on a large piece of plastic wrap. Spread evenly with raspberry jam. Top with uncolored layer and spread with apricot jam. Top with pink layer. Bring plastic wrap over layers. Slide onto a baking sheet and set a cutting board or heavy, flat pan on top to compress layers. Refrigerate overnight.

6. The next day, melt chocolate in a microwave; stir until smooth. Spread over top layer; allow to harden. With a sharp knife, trim edges. Cut into 1/2-in. strips across the width; then cut each strip into 4-5 pieces. Store in airtight containers.
Yield: about 8 dozen.

Reviews for Rainbow Cookies

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MY REVIEW

2124arizona User ID: 845443268260

Reviewed Jun. 22, 2017

"This recipe makes enough to give as gifts for the holidays. Love the almond flavor accompanied with the jam and chocolate!!"

"I have my own recipe but this one is pretty much the same. I have been making these for 22 years. I make about 3-5 batches at Christmas. Going to my daughters in Alabama for Christmas where I am going to teach her how to make these. they are not for the unskilled. she will now carry the torch. Like my Christmas Eve linguine with clam sauce, my brisket and German Spec salad, these cookies are a family tradition. PS, I AM from Greenpoint Brooklyn!!!"

MY REVIEW

catlovesbooks User ID: 4808399224301

Reviewed Apr. 6, 2015

"These are beautiful and have a great complex flavor! I will make these again!"

MY REVIEW

BonnieJane22 User ID: 6385540221539

Reviewed Feb. 27, 2015

"I've been making these for over 10 years. My family loves them. They are made year around for my bunch, birthdays etc. I love them made according to the recipe no changes. use parchment paper it works well."

MY REVIEW

tinarm User ID: 163179217961

Reviewed Jan. 16, 2015

"Made for Christmas...turned out perfect! Added a little more food coloring for richer color. Lined pans with parchment paper and used all apricot jam between layers, forgot to buy raspberry jam. They looked great on cookie tray."

"these are time consuming for sure but not your average run of the mill Christmascookie. worth the extra work."

MY REVIEW

crayolabob User ID: 579828224345

Reviewed Dec. 2, 2013

"These cookies remind me of my childhood in Brooklyn. We called them "funeral cookies" because people always brought them from the bakery when you sat shiva the week after someone died. I didn't even realize that they were Christmas colors until I was an adult. I found this recipe originally on Epicurious and have been making them during the holidays for 5 years now. Yes, they are time consuming and there are a lot of steps to follow but for me, it is worth it and everyone loves them. You also get a lot of cookies out of the recipe. They also look great. I don't know what is wrong with the photography here but if you add enough food coloring, you will get beautiful red, green and white cookies. I have brought them to cookie exchanges, and they are always a hit. Great idea from another reviewer about changing up the colors for other holidays. Although these are not cookies that you want to be making too many times a year, definitely special occasion cookies."

MY REVIEW

dianegaj User ID: 562263924825

Reviewed Dec. 1, 2013Edited Jan. 21, 2014

"i made them they r good

is the almond paste in the can soft or hard .. cuz the one that I bought once before for cookies from bulk barn was hard and it didn't come in a can, I;m from Canada so I have to see if we have it here .."

MY REVIEW

JanisH. User ID: 585607212990

Reviewed Nov. 30, 2013

"I have been making these cookies for many, many years and have passed the recipe on to relatives and friends and they have had success with the recipe. I did make some modifications to my original recipe that seem to make the recipe easier to work with and also make thicker layers. There was a point when all I could find were the 7 oz. tubes of almond paste, so if I bought two (enough to make the 8 ozs. needed), I would have 6 oz. left over. So, I decided to increase the recipe by half - 14 oz. almond paste, 1 1/2 cups of butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 6 eggs, 3 cups of sifted AP flour . I also fold the beaten egg whites into the almond paste/sugar/egg yolk mixture. I then add the flour, which makes it much easier to incorporate. I also just use the red raspberry jam so that I don't have two open jars of jam and preserves."

MY REVIEW

dunegirl11 User ID: 505892812350

Reviewed Mar. 28, 2013

"I HAVE LOVED THESE LITTLE LUSCIOUS COOKIES/CAKES ALL MY LIFE.MY DAUGHTER HAS INHERITED MY PASSION. WE LIVE NEAR NYC WHERE YOU CAN FIND THESE IN PRETTY MUCH ALL THE BAKEREYS,BUT THESE CHARGE BY THE POUOND WHICH TAKES A BIG HIT IN YOUR WALLET. THATS WHY I WAS SO HAPPY TO FIND THIS RECIPE AND IF YOU JUST FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS AND TAKE YOUR TIME THEY TURN OUT BEAUTIFULLY.SINCE THEY ARE ALITTLE MORE TIME CONSUMING TO MAKE I MAKE A TRIPLE BATCH AND FREESE THEM(THEY FREEZE BEAUTIFULLY IF YOU A AIRTIGHT CONTAINER AND FREEZER WRAP AND I USE A BIG FREEZER BAG TO TOP OFF THE PROCESS. I DON'T MESS AROUNDER WITH FROST,PLUS I HAVE A FROST FREE FREEZER WHICH REALLY HELPS. I DO THAT TO ALL MY BAKED ITEMS.HAPPY baking FRIENDS,AND USE THE BEST chocolate(NOT MILK chocolate FOR THE GLAZE :)"

MY REVIEW

happygal67 User ID: 528684436180

Reviewed Dec. 23, 2012

"Just made these cookies. My cake layers came out like very thin sheets of cake, not at all like the fluffy, cake-like layers

shown in the picture. I live at a high altitude of 5300 feet in Albuquerque, New Mexico and wonder if I should have made some type of adjustment for altitude? Any suggestions on what I could do differently next time? Many thanks for your ideas!"

MY REVIEW

N.Camp User ID: 546376517220

Reviewed Dec. 22, 2012

"The texture is more like a dense sponge cake, or a softish biscotti. The taste is really good.

I seem to have issues with getting same amounts quoted. All I was able to cut was 54 (9x5). I guess I was worried the chocolate would crack if I cut it too thin.

I would've given it 5 stars if there were stars to give..."

MY REVIEW

KayKoehlmoos User ID: 610912928859

Reviewed Dec. 22, 2012

"The recipe says to make 2 weeks ahead for the flavor to mellow. Should they be frozen during this time or not?"

MY REVIEW

staceyRN User ID: 704628510688

Reviewed Dec. 19, 2012

"easy to make- bakery quality. If you want to impress your friends- these will do the trick! Simply perfect!"

MY REVIEW

stxbohunk User ID: 413124910673

Reviewed Dec. 17, 2012

"So totally NOT worth the time and effort!! The dough is a thick gloppy pasty mess that you can't spread out even so they are all lumpy and bumpy. Don't know how they did it in the picture, but that sure isn't what they look like for real!! MAYBE, they will taste better than they look!"

MY REVIEW

Ceege User ID: 73052017219

Reviewed Dec. 13, 2012

"I have never tasted or seen this type of cookie. Would like to try them for Christmascookie assortment. They look like a piece of cake. Will these work as a cookie? Thanks for help. BTW, there were no "stars" for me to click on."

MY REVIEW

macdad6876 User ID: 623063912438

Reviewed Dec. 9, 2012

"These are my all-time favorite cookie. Those of you in the Northeast know that they are a staple at any Italian Bakery. They can be called rainbow cookies or 7-layer cookies. My Italian grandmother use to make them all the time for the Christmas holidays

"I've been making these for a few years. They are delicious. You can use whatever colors you prefer....red/green for Christmas; pink/blue for baby shower; pastels for Easter. Being able to make them ahead of time is a bonus!"

MY REVIEW

ldaiello User ID: 617718712325

Reviewed Dec. 8, 2012

"a little time consuming, but worth it.

Softbreeze needs a little imagination and save money on the shrink. If I had my way all rainbows would have chocolate atop. Thanks for the great recipe."

MY REVIEW

SKSDesigns User ID: 430637333593

Reviewed Dec. 8, 2012

"This is a great recipe for all year round. I have made these for several years. I cut them into squares and the book step can be eliminated. I have never done that. Publix and Kash & Karry used to sell these during Easter and Christmas time when I lived in Florida (gulf coast). Making them was better. I put them on a glass cake plate wtih a glass see through dome / cover as a centerpiece for my table. It made a very pretty presentation. You will have to keep refilling the plate, so make plenty of extra. These are delicious."

MY REVIEW

wccnsoul User ID: 81125412323

Reviewed Dec. 8, 2012

"Ha! That is funny!"

MY REVIEW

broberts1302 User ID: 683551012437

Reviewed Dec. 8, 2012

"Ive been making these cookies since the early 80s. I found the recipe in a Christmas magazine. We just call them the Christmas Cookies. I also entered them in our county fair and won a blue ribbon. I did tweek the recipe a bit. First I weigh the dough to be sure they are all the same. I use raspberry jam instead of the apricot. Also I spread the melted chocolate on the green and yellow layer then the jam. Before I add the chocolate on top, I cover with wax paper then place two or three heavy books on top for 24 hours then add the layer of chocolate and cut into one inch squares. They are my oldest son's favorite cookie!"

MY REVIEW

Softbreeze User ID: 872426201254

Reviewed Dec. 8, 2012

"My question is....Where the heck did you ever see a Green,Pale Yellow, Orange and chocolate Brown Rainbow??? I have an appointment with the 'Shrink" next week. I was lucky....He squeezed me in because he was quite worried about my visiion!!"

MY REVIEW

skuehn User ID: 327175211783

Reviewed Dec. 22, 2011

"Absolutely WONDERFUL!!!! I was worried because the dough was super thick and thought I might have deflated the egg whites, however they turned out great! Also, I pureed the apricot preserves so as not to have any "chunks". Labor intensive but worth it. Reminds me of the ones I used to have in New York (I am now in Florida). Thanks for a great recipe!!"

MY REVIEW

Bakingtown User ID: 63334058465

Reviewed Nov. 26, 2011

"Wonderful cookie to make to add some color and taste to a cookie tray! Very good recipe and the kids loved it."

MY REVIEW

3-dognight User ID: 625728428856

Reviewed Oct. 5, 2011

"made this with Splenda and sugar-free jam. Turned out great. Wonderful flavor and color. very pretty to look at."

MY REVIEW

3-dognight User ID: 625728410648

Reviewed Oct. 5, 2011

"these are wonderfully flavored and very pretty to look at. I made them for my annual "pastor's box" at Christmas and go rave reviews on them. I made them with sugar-free Splenda and sugar-free jam. Everyone loved them."

MY REVIEW

wbird User ID: 563236917026

Reviewed Sep. 8, 2011

"Tried the recipe ahead of time for my daughters bridal shower. Delicious! Am definitely making these for the shower."

MY REVIEW

moogeymomma User ID: 31685495163

Reviewed Dec. 11, 2010

"I've been making these cookies for years, although my recipe calls them "venetians. Yes, they are time comsuming, but so worth the trouble. Have to make at least 3 batches at a time, and yes, the cookies do freeze well if you don't put the chocolate on them before freezing."

MY REVIEW

hook57 User ID: 4261692201253

Reviewed Feb. 22, 2010

"Unless you are making these for a dessert platter or entertaining, they are definitely time consuming! We found the measurement for the chocolate topping too much, it overpowered the taste of the cookie. I always thought 1 cup was 8 ounces, not 6 oz. as stated in the ingredients. A typo error maybe? 3/4 cup of chocolate chips would probably be better!

We're hoping time in the freezer will help with the taste....."

MY REVIEW

maggieaw User ID: 4163584201252

Reviewed Feb. 1, 2010

"Yes, it is a time consuming recipe but the results are definitely worth the effort. I had none of these left on the cookie platters at the end of the night!"

MY REVIEW

wrobelrm User ID: 152059812436

Reviewed Dec. 21, 2009

"I've made this recipe for years now and it is a family favorite! I follow the recipe exactly and I have no trouble with them at all. They are delicious and we usually store them in the fridge because we like to eat them cold."

MY REVIEW

Jetertwo User ID: 100083710640

Reviewed Dec. 2, 2009

"I've made this recipe for the past couple of year now and I have mastered it. I actually make them all year round, sometimes I change the colors. People now beg for them, the store or bakery bought can't compare."

MY REVIEW

RFurnari User ID: 384162711781

Reviewed Dec. 1, 2009

"I thought I would take the time to share with you that I do not use Almond Paste. I use Solo Almond pie Filling I find the cookies come out moist and not as dry."

MY REVIEW

BrytEyz User ID: 275968336176

Reviewed Nov. 9, 2009

"This recipe (we call them "Ribbon Cookies," but the recipe as originally written uses the title "Neapolitan Cookies") has been a family favorite for well over 30 years. They are well worth the extra effort. Don't forget to weight down with a heavy cutting board in the refrigerator overnight; this important step helps to hold the layers together later."

MY REVIEW

alexpio User ID: 429930011731

Reviewed Oct. 31, 2009

"Right now my 3 layers are cooling before adding jelly. I'd probably do it again because I can tell by the crumbs that they're delicious. I think 'spread each portion into the prepared pans' gives no idea how much of a problem this is. By the time I got to the third layer I found a lot easier way. Cut (or fold) the waxed paper to the size for the pan. Grease it per instructions but don't put it in the pan. Put it on a cookie sheet, then put the dough on top. It helps if you put it in 3 or 4 piles. Lay a piece of saran on top of the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. The waxed paper shows you the size. When it covers the paper, lift the whole thing and drop it into the prepared pan. Adjust it as necessary. I had to push the corners down. Then bake as usual. Actually, except for insuring the size, I'm not sure why we need the 9 x 13 pan. I'm tempted to just bake them on the cookie sheet next time. I didn't give 5 stars because I'm not finished yet."

MY REVIEW

asouth User ID: 167009536173

Reviewed Dec. 15, 2008

"I make 3 batches every Christmas. I've used the 7-oz. tube of almond paste without a problem, but prefer the 8-oz can.

I don't fill with too much jam because I find that the layers fall apart when cutting the cookies if I do. Make sure you pull out the big clumps of apricot in the apricot jam or you'll have lumpy cookies.

Immediately after chocolate is put on top, score with a knife to establish cutting lines. This will help to avoid breaking the chocolate after it has cooled.

These are also great for baby showers if you use blue and pink food coloring instead of green and red. Also graduations, using school colors (as long as they don't look too odd as cookies - don't think I'd do black and red, for instance)"

I also only use one kind of jelly, and experimented with homemade blackberry jelly which turned out delicious. I tend to put in much more jelly than it calls for because that's my favorite part.

Oh, and a food processor will break up the almond paste beautifully. If you break it up a little bit and put it on 'pulse' a few times, it will really chop it up very finely. Also, you can add the rest of the ingredients and just use the processor. It mixes beautifully. That saved me a LOT of time when I made three batches last month.

And they freeze perfectly so you can make them a couple months in advance without issue."

MY REVIEW

hulagirlfriend User ID: 46226416758

Reviewed Jan. 31, 2008

"I make these every Christmas and they are excellent. I now line the baking pan with non stick aluminum foil with some overhang, and after baking I can gently lift out the ultra thin layers from the pans. Always use 8 oz. canned almond paste - the tube is 7 oz. - it makes a difference."